James Brown

@ancientjames
5K Followers
189 Following
1,054 Posts
In New Zealand, making things.
James Brown5d ago
Internet is out because a Wētā chewed through our fibre.
James Brown6d ago

I was hoping that Tom Lehrer's songs being in the public domain would mean I could use them in a video, but YouTube has flagged "Selectramatronics sings The Elements" as copyright protected.

I assume the actual recordings are still owned by someone. But does anyone know if there exists a public domain recording of him singing his (public domain) songs?

Show threadJames BrownAug 14
I don’t understand why people keep saying it’s “creepy”.
James BrownAug 13
hackadayAug 13

That’s no Moon, er, Selectric

https://hackaday.com/2025/08/12/thats-no-moon-er-selectric/

That’s No Moon, Er, Selectric

If you learned to type anytime in the mid-part of the 20th century, you probably either had or wanted an IBM Selectric. These were workhorses and changed typing by moving from typebars to a replace…

Hackaday
Show threadJames BrownAug 12

Have you ever listened to a beatboxer and thought, imagine if a machine could do that?

(As suggested by @aeva)

James BrownAug 7
I'm getting better at remembering to video things as I do them.
This one turned out not to be useful, but it is pretty.
James BrownAug 2
Kevin Santo CappuccioAug 2

https://www.jrpanel.com
Okay, turns out you can just get membrane keypads made for crazy cheap. I always assumed you could (and I probably still would just ask Elecrow to deal with them on my behalf), I just didn't expect there to be a JLC-style online ordering setup.

Now I need to come up with the silliest possible nonsense to do with a membrane keypad.
(Someone else please do this so I don't have to)

James BrownAug 1
Show threadSean HollisterJul 31
I'd say the new Thumby Color is slightly *less* impossible and much more playable. More about that (and links!) in my micro-review! https://www.theverge.com/hands-on/716423/thumby-color-micro-review-gba-rp-2350
Thumby Color micro-review: a delightfully tiny GBA clone that doesn’t play Nintendo

From the makers of the TinyTV, the new Thumby is a tiny open-source take on the Game Boy Advance that is actually playable unlike the original Thumby.

The Verge
James BrownAug 1
I think I'm ready to call this piece finished.
James BrownJul 29
Turns out a PCB fits nice and snugly in a Lego brick separator.
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James BrownJul 29
Turns out a PCB fits nice and snugly in a Lego brick separator.
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialJul 29
@ancientjames iirc the inter-peg gap on lego bricks is 1/16" so that would make sense
Show threadJames BrownJul 29
@gsuberland It's too loose with normal bricks, but that tool apparently does away with the (I think) 0.1mm separation they have.
Show threadJames BrownJul 29
@gsuberland I'm now darkly suspicious that the 2015 game "Lego Dimensions" was released as a deliberate anti-SEO IP protection scheme.
Show threadSean HollisterJul 29
@ancientjames just checking your email is still the same right? (realizing it's been a few years). Hope you're well!!